ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Geohazards and Georisks
Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Framework for Hot Dry Rock Development: A Case Study in Gonghe Basin, China
Provisionally accepted
- 1Center for Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, CGS, Tianjin, China
- 2State Grid Qinghai Electric Power Research Institute, Xining, China
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As an emerging clean energy source with vast reserves, hot dry rock (HDR) exhibits significant development potential in the global energy transition. This study conducted China's first full-process pilot project-from HDR exploration and evaluation to pilot extraction, power generation, and grid integration-in Gonghe, Qinghai, alongside associated Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). By analyzing the geological setting of the Gonghe Basin HDR pilot site and environmental impacts during construction, and referencing international HDR development cases and EIA research, this study investigates optimal environmental assessment and management methodologies. A framework for the HDR EIA index system in the Gonghe Basin was established, proposing a multi-technique integrated evaluation approach. Key environmental management strategies include policy formulation, responsibility mechanisms, strict oversight, and enhanced public participation and social supervision. International HDR projects offer valuable lessons and cautionary insights. Currently, the Gonghe Basin HDR pilot is in its early stages, with EIA still evolving. Future efforts must strengthen multi-faceted impact assessment and control, improve public engagement, and refine monitoring mechanisms to promote sustainable HDR resource utilization.
Keywords: EIA Management, Enhanced geothermal system (EGS), environmental assessment, hot dry rock, SustainableEnergy
Received: 03 Dec 2025; Accepted: 13 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Niu, Zhang, Niu, Zhao, Ma, Zhu and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zhaoxuan Niu
Xue Niu
Wenqiang Zhao
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